Preview — The Science of the Oven
by Hervé This

Mayonnaise "takes" when a series of liquids form a semisolid consistency. Eggs, a liquid, become solid as they are heated, whereas, under the same conditions, solids melt. When meat is roasted, its surface browns and it acquires taste and texture. What accounts for these extraordinary transformations?

The answer: chemistry and physics. With trademark clarity and wit, Herve

Mayonnaise "takes" when a series of liquids form a semisolid consistency. Eggs, a liquid, become solid as they are heated, whereas, under the same conditions, solids melt. When meat is roasted, its surface browns and it acquires taste and texture. What accounts for these extraordinary transformations?

The answer: chemistry and physics. With trademark clarity and wit, Herve This launches a wry investigation into the chemical art of cooking. Unraveling the science behind common culinary technique and practice, Herv? This breaks food down to its molecular components and matches them to cooking's chemical reactions. He translates the complex processes of the oven into everyday knowledge for professional chefs and casual cooks; demystifies the meaning of taste and the making of flavor; describes the properties of liquids, salts, sugars, oils, and fats; and defines the principles of culinary practice, which endow food with sensual as well as nutritional value.

For fans of Herv? This's popular volumes and for newcomers to his celebrated approach, "The Science of the Oven" fuses the physiology of taste to the molecular structure of bodies and food, expertly expanding the possibilities of the kitchen.

Community Reviews

Interesting read. The style was a little all-over-the-place, which detracted from the content. In spite of this, I learned quite a bit about the physical processes that occur while different substances are heated/blended, etc. The book's philosophy espouses a reductionist approach, characteristic of hard science, to provide a basis for the use of new technological methods (to the kitchen) in the preparation of novel cuisine.

I received this book as a review copy from the publisher. "The Science of the Oven" explores the chemistry and physics of cooking (and eating).

The author's main focus was on how the scientific understanding of cooking and eating can lead to new possibilities in food experimentation. He discussed new scientific findings, explained how this information could be used to make cooking more effective or exact or varied in taste, and then sometimes offered experiments a reader could do in the kitchen tI received this book as a review copy from the publisher. "The Science of the Oven" explores the chemistry and physics of cooking (and eating).

The author's main focus was on how the scientific understanding of cooking and eating can lead to new possibilities in food experimentation. He discussed new scientific findings, explained how this information could be used to make cooking more effective or exact or varied in taste, and then sometimes offered experiments a reader could do in the kitchen to demonstrate the point or create a new taste for his/her eating pleasure.

The introduction was very chatty and funny with asides in the middle of sentences. The asides decreased in the main part of the book, but the author's enthusiasm for the subject still shone through.

The book is easiest to follow if you have at least a basic understanding of chemistry. However, he did explain scientific terms as he went along and assumed he was talking to a non-scientist. He generally kept the explanation simple or gave a summary statement in nontechnical language after giving the technical explanation. There was a short glossary of terms at the back to help with this.

Chapters 1-4 reported in detail on a series of scientific studies and so were a bit heavy on the technical language. Chapters 4-7 still focused on the science but were more conversational in language and easier for me to follow.

Chapter One explored how our various senses affect how we perceive taste. Chapter Two discussed some studies on how various foods affect our health. Chapter Three discussed how food growing conditions and different food varieties affect our taste.

Chapter Four and Five got into specific examples like how tannins in wine change over time and how that affects their taste, why some corks spoil the wine's taste, why eggs cook the way they do and some experiments one can do with eggs, and the science involved in kneading dough, making of noodles, and jelling liquids. Also, how to effectively tenderize squid, keep the "fresh" bright green color in vegetables when cooking, why re-heating can change the taste of meat, how to effectively flavor meat with liquids before cooking, the conditions where a lute seal does work, why lobster shells turn red when cooked, how food thickeners affect taste (like in yogurt), and experiments in making new sauces.

Chapter Six explored (among other things): how cooking in earthware changes food taste; "new" types of milk coagulants for cheese; the chemistry of making cheese, fondue, and spreadable cheeses; the chemistry of creating pickles; how bread gets stale and how this is prevented commercially; the optimal time to beat egg whites for meringues; the color of emulsions; how champagne bubbles develop; the color and taste of port wine; and preserving the smell of fruit jams.

Chapter Seven discussed cooking with hard water, how food color and smell changes when the pH changes, and future possibilities in cooking.

I enjoyed the book, but I didn't always agree with his opinions. (For example, he's down on people who prefer 'natural' sources in their foods whereas I can see how food chemistry has overall improved people's lives but I still think natural is better if you can get it.)

Overall, this was a slower read than normal, but I had many fun "so that's why!" moments. I think this book would be most interesting and useful to people who like to experiment with creating new dishes, industry professionals, and those who are both scientists and cooks. ...more

It might sound obvious at first glance, yet if you have to really answer the question you might be stumped and struggle to give a proper answer. Such as "What happens in the oven when you cook something?"

Highly-acclaimed physical chemist and author of many well-respected gastronomy books Hervé This has put his mind to many vexing questions and produced a book for us all to help answer the question. Written in a great style whereby it can be read by both expert and amateur alike, you tend to findIt might sound obvious at first glance, yet if you have to really answer the question you might be stumped and struggle to give a proper answer. Such as "What happens in the oven when you cook something?"

Highly-acclaimed physical chemist and author of many well-respected gastronomy books Hervé This has put his mind to many vexing questions and produced a book for us all to help answer the question. Written in a great style whereby it can be read by both expert and amateur alike, you tend to find that your mind just skips over anything overtly-technical without missing a beat, yet without feeling that you are missing out on something. This book has not been dumbed down either, so the scientist or researcher can see exactly what makes a given thing tick - the amateur just understands and accepts that something ticks. A great balancing art.

The level of detail in this book is particularly pleasing, especially in the way the author just casually, almost embarrassingly, just slips it in the book. Take, for example, the section on the senses. Why do we roast a piece of beef? Obvious, you may say, but the reasons and outcomes can be contradictory. Sure, the meat is roasted to kill off the pathogenic microorganisms that naturally inhabit the surface. So, you put this tender meat in to roast and you start to harden it in the process. Why make something tender a lot harder? But then the roasted meat takes on flavour. But flavour is not throughout as we would associate it to be. The edge develops a crust with a strong, marked taste that does not go through the meat. Yet our body tends to sense the crust's flavour and conveniently ignores the rest.

Would you think HOW you carve the meat can make a difference? It does. The English method would cut parallel to the bone, giving a relatively consistent cut (and associated flavour/appearance) whilst the French Entrecôte style cuts perpendicular, giving you effectively many different tastes from the same cut. When it is pointed out to you it might be head-slappingly plainly-obvious… and who better to point it out than Hervé This.

The book continues in this vein, examining the so-called chemical art of cooking and how it all goes together. This is one of those books that could be great for holiday reading by the curious as well as being an essential part of academic study. It deserves a wider audience even though the book itself, in its current form, can look quite austere with its acres of relatively small text. The book is already very powerful but if it was accompanied by some photographs that are the same calibre as those in Modernist Cuisine and oh, Oh, OH!!

If you have an interest in food, in science or just like learning something new for learning's sake, buy this book. Nothing more needs to be said.

The Science of the Oven, written by Hervé This and published by Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231147071, 206 pages. Typical price: GBP11.50. YYYYY.

// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //...more

I have to say, the topic of the book is very ambitious. I really thought that this book would break the "cooking barrier" for me by introducing cooking practices from a scientific perspective. Unfortunately, it did not.

The author mostly talks about the physics and chemistry of cooking and eating practices. He presents many examples using different dishes and different types of cooking methods to argue against some commonly misinterpreted cooking claims, as he wanders on the surface of the true sI have to say, the topic of the book is very ambitious. I really thought that this book would break the "cooking barrier" for me by introducing cooking practices from a scientific perspective. Unfortunately, it did not.

The author mostly talks about the physics and chemistry of cooking and eating practices. He presents many examples using different dishes and different types of cooking methods to argue against some commonly misinterpreted cooking claims, as he wanders on the surface of the true science behind these cooking techniques. It all seems very interesting right?

Well, perhaps it was the bad translation (the book was not originally written in English) that made it very difficult to focus on the meaning of the embelished sentences. Or maybe the lack of coherent thoughts. In any case, reading this book was neither informative nor enjoyable.

The idea behind it is intriguing. However, I am definite that it could be written in a much better way....more

This' work on what molecular gastronomy is and isn't makes fr a lovely tease. This text alludes to all sorts of fascinating discoveries in food chemistry and physics without delving deep enough into the science of it all to put off readers who didn't pursue the sciences in post secondary school. That said, if you don't remember any of your high school chemistry (osmosis, covalent bonding, acids vs aldehydes vs alcohols) the text may present a bit of a challenge. This' text is worth the read sincThis' work on what molecular gastronomy is and isn't makes fr a lovely tease. This text alludes to all sorts of fascinating discoveries in food chemistry and physics without delving deep enough into the science of it all to put off readers who didn't pursue the sciences in post secondary school. That said, if you don't remember any of your high school chemistry (osmosis, covalent bonding, acids vs aldehydes vs alcohols) the text may present a bit of a challenge. This' text is worth the read since it suggests a new way of looking at food and the way we think about cooking - he proposes saying true to the spirit of the classics while putting all the technology we have available to better use. It's a perspective well worth exploring....more

Hervé This is is a French physical chemist who works at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique. His main area of interest is molecular gastronomy, or how our knowledge of chemistry and science in general, can be used as a tool to enhance culinary experiences, rather than the purely empirical knowledge which more often than not dictates the rules in the kitchen. With the late Nicholas KuHervé This is is a French physical chemist who works at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique. His main area of interest is molecular gastronomy, or how our knowledge of chemistry and science in general, can be used as a tool to enhance culinary experiences, rather than the purely empirical knowledge which more often than not dictates the rules in the kitchen. With the late Nicholas Kurti, he coined the scientific term "Molecular and Physical Gastronomy" in 1988, which he shortened to "Molecular Gastronomy" after Kurti's death in 1998[1]. While it is often stated that he has a Ph.D in Molecular Gastronomy, his degree is in "Physico-chimie des matériaux" (Physical Chemistry of Materials), for which he wrote a thesis entitled "La gastronomie moléculaire et physique"[2]. He has written several books on the subject which can be understood even by those who have little or no knowledge of chemistry, but so far only two have been translated into English. He also collaborates with the magazine Pour la Science, the aim of which is to present scientific concepts to the general public. He is also a corresponding member of the Académie d'agriculture de France, and, more recently, the scientific director of the foundation "Food Science & Culture", which he created at the French Academy of Science.

Every month he adds one new "invention" in the Arts and Science section of the website of the three-star chef Pierre Gagnaire.

Although his main focus is on physical chemistry, he also attributes great importance to the emotional aspect of cooking, as the title of one of his books shows: Cooking is love, art, technique.